About the Cathedral

About the Cathedral

Cathedral Hours: The Cathedral is open to the public Monday-Friday, 6:30 am - 8:00 pm, Sunday until 7:00 pm.

A Cathedral for the Centuries

As an edifice of transcendent beauty, built to stand for centuries, The Cathedral of Christ the Light Center fulfills a diversity of needs for our Diocese, for Oakland and the surrounding East Bay communities. The Cathedral is thespiritual home of all the members of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Oakland, which inspires our diverse community across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The ministries at the Cathedral and our adjacent campus foster unity through worship, teaching and evangelization. The Cathedral unites our faith-community from the Diocese’s 84 parishes and half million worshipers – from Blackhawk to West Oakland, from Richmond to Union City, and from Livermore to Lafayette and Orinda. The Cathedral Parish of Christ the Light and our clergy minister to the spiritual needs of the many people who work or live in downtown Oakland.

Parish offices and a parish hall are located at the lower level beneath the Cathedral Church, at the corners of Grand and Harrison Streets.

Parishioners from the former churches of St. Mary/St. Francis de Sales/St. Andrew/St. Joseph joined together to form the Cathedral Parish. We welcome new parishioners from the Lake Merritt neighborhood.

Public Plaza and Garden

The Cathedral and plaza are open to anyone who wishes to socialize on the plaza benches, walk through the gardens, attend social and religious events, or take time for personal reflection and prayer. The plaza is an extension of 22nd Street and our mall offers a public thoroughfare from downtown Oakland to Lake Merritt.

Cathedral Shop

Event Center

Vital to the teaching and service mission of the Diocese, the Event Center is a full-service facility, open to all diocesan entities and parishes, as well as to the community at large. Located on the ground level, adjacent to the Chancery and Parish Offices, the center includes large and small dining and meeting spaces available for reservation.

Cathedral Mausoleum

Directly beneath the Cathedral you will discover the gentle murmuring of a fountain as you enter the Cathedral Mausoleum. Designed to capture the dimensions and filtered light of the cathedral above, the mood is at once sacred and welcoming. Operated by Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services, a division of the Diocese, the mausoleum has 1,300 spaces for crypts and 1,850 niches for cremated remains. There are also 12 crypts reserved for the past, present and future Bishops of Oakland.

The first Bishop of Oakland, the Most Reverend Floyd Begin, was re-interred in the mausoleum at a special service on November 2, 2008.

Chancery Offices

The Cathedral Center now enables Diocese of Oakland administrative staff to work together under one roof. The social services, liturgical and educational departments of the Diocese are all housed within this space, including the offices of the Bishop’s Curia.

Rectory and Residence

The Bishop and priests who are responsible for the parish and the Cathedral have their residences within the Cathedral Center.

The Cathedral of Christ the Light is located at 2121 Harrison Street, Oakland, between 21st Street and Grand Avenue, across from Lake Merritt. Parking is available at reasonable rates in the Cathedral underground lot. Enter the lot on the 21st street side of the Cathedral Center. Parking information and printable map (pdf).

Transportation and parking are available at reasonable rates in the Cathedral underground lot. Enter the lot on the 21st street side of the Cathedral Center.

Parking for those who come to Mass is free.

For all weekday Masses (Mon - Sat morning) parking is free for 1½ hours from the time you enter the garage. If you stay longer than 1½ hours you will be asked to pay the difference.

For Saturday evening Vigil Mass at 5:30 pm and for all Sunday Masses parking is free for 3 hours from the time you enter the garage. If you stay longer than three hours you will be asked to pay the regular flat fee of $5 on Saturday and $2 on Sunday.

Write "Mass" on your ticket and hand it to the parking attendant when you leave or simply tell the parking attendant you were at Mass when you give him/her your ticket.

The Cathedral of Christ the Light is located at 2121 Harrison Street, Oakland, between 21st Street and Grand Avenue, across from Lake Merritt.